Here is a fun Bible trivia fact: the word “remember” (and its variant) Shown over 8,000 times In the Bible.
This weekend, when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I remember It calls us to a more intimate relationship with God. I am currently reading the Old Testament, and it seems like countless times God has commanded the Israelites to “remember” or “don’t forget.”
No matter what waves come, God gives us gratitude and calls us to say everything he has done for us.
Yet God’s chosen people turned their backs endlessly on him and abandoned him to worship a false God.
Within an hour of learning something, the study It shows that you have forgotten about 50% of the information. As someone currently pregnant, I forget things even earlier.
But unlike being forced to remember information from lectures in the University Hall, God is not calling us to remember random facts to reflux them. On the contrary, when he orders his followers to “remember,” there is a specific purpose behind it – and that is ultimately for our goodness and for his glory.
Being based on the truth
Remembering helps us continue to lead to what God has done: His promises, faithfulness, and guidance. Forgetting it leads to drifting and making mistakes, as the Israelites have done over and over again.
Throughout the 40-year journey, the Israelites continued to run in circles around the wilderness, doubting God and his goodness. God rescued them from the harsh grip of the Egyptians, miraculously parted ways with the Red Sea, descended manna from heaven, gave them quail with strong winds, fed them water from the rocks, and ensured that their clothes were never worn out.
Yet despite these incredible miracles and regulations, the Israelites have been transformed into idolatry.
When Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Israelites were tired of waiting for him between 40 days and 40 nights, so they returned to pagan customs. Instead of Aaron, Moses’ brother, reminding them of God’s truth and his unchanging character, he instructed them to succumb to their demands and collect money. Aaron not only built an altar in front of the calves, but also presented the festival. The consequences occurred upon Moses’ return. This included dying people and plagues.
It is easy for the Israelites to think about how ridiculous it is that the Israelites were unable to wait for Moses to descend into the mountains, as the timing did not suit them. But since he hasn’t done anything on our timetable, will we soon doubt God, because he hasn’t done anything but God and His truth?
To build faith
Looking back at the past seasons God has appeared for us, we can strengthen our trust in Him when we face difficulties and uncertainties. One way you can do this is to visually remind yourself of God’s faithfulness. It’s about creating our own Ebenezer.
In Hebrew, “Ebenezer” means “stone of help.” The great prophet Samuel created the first commemoration of God’s incredible provision for the Israelites. Many are familiar with the word as it is in the famous hymn “The Fountain of All Coming Blessings” written by Baptist pastor Robert Robinson. The famous line goes like this: “Here I’m nurturing Ebenezer.
It is God’s great help and mercy that the Israelites defeated the Philistines while the Philistines were planning to attack them. With 20 years of infidelity, where the covenant is pagan possession, the Israelites repented their sins and pleaded to Samuel at this pivotal moment in history.
When the Israelites faced an impossible situation, they returned to the living God and humbly sought help. God “slashed thunder” against the Philistines, cast them into “confusion,” and gave the Israelites an overwhelming victory over their enemies. Samuel did not want them to forget God’s supernatural intervention, so he set the stone of memory and called it “Ebenezer” because “The Lord helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12).
Similarly, when God entered the promised land, years after God parted ways with the Jordan for the Israelites, God ordered that 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel be set up to commemorate God’s unwavering faithfulness.
To give thanks and teach future generations
Remembering can be a form of worship. It helps us to remain grateful and humble, realizing that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. God often tells people to remember, tell me – Telling the story of rescue so that others can learn, believe and trust the unchanging person.
The apostle Paul calls us to “be grateful for all circumstances.” This is the will of Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No matter what waves come, God gives us gratitude and calls us to say everything he has done for us.
Reading miraculous biblical accounts, reflecting on his faithfulness in my life, and listening to modern stories about how God was offered when things became darker, which strengthens my faith. God healed my stepmother from cancer. After waiting seven years, God opened my friend’s womb. God provided my husband for me. When my father was almost dying of an incurable illness, God answered three specific prayers. And more.
We must share these kinds of stories with others to encourage God’s faithfulness and ultimately give him the glory of great things that God has done. These miraculous tales are about turning others towards him and building on our own Ebenezer.
More importantly, God commands us to pass on our faith to the next generation and teach our children how to make his strange deeds.
Poem Sal 78 instructs them not to “hidden” these stories from their children. The psalmist says, “But to the coming generation, let the Lord share the glorious deeds and the wonders he has done.”
This recurring theme of teaching our children about God can be found throughout the Bible. When God gives Moses his commandments in the wilderness, Moses tells the Israelites:
Here are my practical suggestions for this majestic yet festive weekend: Instead of scrolling through social media and scrolling through new nuggets of truth, listen to podcasts for a new perspective on Easter, expect a pastor to preach a new angle to the resurrection, or look back at what God has done in your life.
Reflect and then take action:
- Grab the pen and write three clear answers to the prayers you have experienced in your life.
- Open a new “Notes” page in the phone app and create a list of 15 things you appreciate.
- Find Sharpies and write down the great struggle that Christ has freed you. Then tear the sheet and throw away the pieces.
- Set aside time with your spouse, best friend, and/or children and remember details of how you came to know the Lord and how he changed your life through his work on the cross.
- Set your own Ebenezer to commemorate the miracles God has done in your life and the faithful work he has done to you.
